FarFox Returns  Can we return to tomorrow?
by chp34
Summary: The problems of the present may only be solved by working in the future.


Farfox Returns

By Peter Cameron

The mission routine has been hectic. My team has been on a number of overlapping missions for the past few months and it seems that the past and the future have collided into one long blur. Is it 1975 or 2275? Is it the Colony Wars of the War to end all Wars? Clothes and hairstyles change. Petty bickering stays the same. I am entering the bubble and as I do I see a figure on the other end. I am close enough to touch him. I question his as to why he is in here when I am. The words don't come out. Have I ever tried to speak in the portal? Can you speak in the portal? I move closer to him. At once it seems real. I blink and upon opening my eyes he seems to lack true form. Who are you I try to ask, but once again the words don't come out. Why is this trip taking so long? Is my fellow traveler blocking my exit? Am I doomed to spend eternity outside the space-time continuum? I move cautiously forward. Closer, closer to my fellow traveler. He looks strangely familiar. Surely I have met you somewhere in the future. Or was it the past? He is in full view now. I look at him – he looks at me. I try to speak. He does the same. Now it becomes clear. I am looking at myself. The well of my soul has opened and it is looking back at me! Finally he speaks. He tells me that danger is ahead. I should go back to where I came from and blow up this God-awful contraption. Humans have no right to travel forwards and backwards in time. There are too many dangers. Go back he (I) say. Go back!

The alarm rings and I wake up taking an eternity of a few minutes to fully realize that it was all a bad dream. Why I ask myself? Sure there are dangers, but there is danger in everything you do. Why does it disturb me so?

Reality hits and I know that I am late for today's mission send-off. I have been involved with the Horsehill project for nearly 10 years know. I have learned to juggle family, career and mission fairly well. The time portal project really does not take a lot of my time, but it seems to crop up when you least expect it. Fortunately for the travelers (that is what we are considered), the portal project has enough connections to keep life's other activities in check with our missions.

Today's mission is fairly straightforward. There has been increased portal traffic coming from the mid 25th century. Specifically the period of time seems to coincide with a ten-year cease-fire of hostilities in the colony wars. Travelers from that time have been mum about their activities. We do not restrict travelers as long as they do not pose possible dangers. What is strange about this is that during the 25th century the open-society movement was in full swing and usually people from that time are quite open with their intentions. We are aiming to land somewhere in the mid point of the cease-fire since we lack the technology to land at specific dates and times. This technology will not be available for some time and outside of power sources, all travelers have agreed not to share technology with earlier travelers.

Today I am traveling with my mysterious friend Hal. Hal the 20th century man who has chosen to live in the 30th century. He may chose to live in that time, but I really don't know how long he stays there. He always seems to be here!

Previously I mentioned my relationship with Hal. I first met Hal in the late 1970's. He was in the same two-year program as me. Soon after graduation he joined the army and I continued to see him infrequently over the next two years. In 1982 Hal introduced me to the time-portal program; although, I've been told that I recommended him for his assignment.

Hal was born in upstate New York in 1959. Sometime in my future, I will recommend Hal to be assigned to the Horsehill Project back in the early 1980's. As a result of this, Hal received formal education sometime in the 22nd century and returns to 1982 to introduce me to the program. At some point (I am still not sure when), Hal was approached by 30th century travelers who were looking for a liaison to our time. The colony wars left a void in the study of earth's past. By the 30th century, much of humanity's past was lost to war and abandonment. Traveling back to earlier times did not instill a true sense of history with the travelers because Earth's society was so dramatically changed after the wars. At some point, Hal chose to live in that time, although I am not clear as to why. Hal continues to serve two masters and is happy doing so. I am sure that someday I will know the entire story of my friend and fellow travelerl.

Does the gatekeeper have any more information about the traffic I asked? All that we know is that over a period of two months, portal traffic increased nearly 25%. The destinations vary, but most seem to be into the 29th century - the far end of their 500-year window. Why have we been asked to investigate? We have no more right to investigate than the 25th century gatekeepers do investigating us. Neither the gatekeeper nor Hal had to answer me. We knew why _we_ were chosen – we have the unique advantage in this situation. Few travelers prior to the 29th century traveled past the 3rd millennium

You will recognize our contact in that period. Do you remember Roger McGinnis? Yes, he was the 22nd Earthforce representative who worked with Jules Farfox. What is he doing in that period? I guess he took a sabbatical from his position at Earthforce and is doing research on the truce. The truce lasted over a decade and no one really knew why. As a time portal representative, he was chosen to investigate the travel movement. The 29th century – this was the period when little or no contact took place between Earth and the colonies. Both were recovering from the war. It was not a overly nice period in our future.

Our first voyage took us to 2497, a few years past the window. The portal was not manned at this point. The war was again in full swing and resources were sent elsewhere. The automated gatekeeper, using the technology of the time was able to send us to where we were going. The year was 2483, the 2nd year of cease-fire. It must be very hard to be a time-traveler of the time. Most of the citizenry of Earth and the colonies were optimistic of a bright future. The travelers were grimly aware that peace would be short lived. Within a few years the war would continue. Dark days were ahead.

The gatekeeper was an attractive 40ish woman who greeted us warmly. Welcome from the past! We will assist you in any way we can. I told her of our scheduled meeting with Roger McGinnis, another traveler from the past. Within 5 minutes she presented us with our travel arrangements and also notified us that another traveler from our near future arrived some days before and would be meeting with McGinnis and us. She did not have to say anything more – I knew that it was Mark, my yet to be born son.

Why do you think Mark is here, I asked Hal? I have not seen Mark since our last meeting with Farfox – nearly 10 years ago in linear time. Maybe our 21st century counterparts discovered something pertinent to the time Hal responded. We left the facility to find an area in recovery. Much of the surrounding forest had sustained damage in the early days of the war. Recovery was evident. It seems that this area of the continental United States suffered greatly in the first half-century of the war, but was somehow spared in the latter years. We were scheduled to travel north to Montreal, still home to one of the Earthforce facilities. Roger McGinnis, the 22nd century historian, was doing research on Earth-Colony trade agreements during the war. Amazingly, trade did continue throughout the war. Various peace agreements with Earth and varied colonies kept the trade routes open. Many space transporters became rich or became dead keeping the flow of goods and services open.

McGinnis hoped his work would keep the avenues of communication past the cease-fire that would end in a little less than 8 years. Unlike Farfox who mettled in the past, McGinnis hoped that he could somehow tweak the future. It wasn't illegal, but one could question his legitimacy. He was working with linear people who had no idea of what was in store for them. He presented himself with the proper credentials and began his research. The time-portal groups could not stop him because he was not doing anything wrong for his time. Most saw him as somewhat of a crackpot but for agreeing to letting his stay in this time for an extended period, he agreed to do some work.

Today's assignment for Mr. McGinnis was to investigate the increased travel into the 29th century. Control of the time-portal was spotty at best. The 25th century staff main job was to keep the portals open. Any person who wished to travel to the 29th century was committing no crime. Why they were going made no sense. Contacts in the 29th century, both on Earth and the colonies noted no problems with these travelers – they merely came through and moved on into the linear. (Note: Linear became part of the vernacular of time travelers. Linear was a term for those who did not travel in time or for a travelers existence in his or her own time).

Part of my "orientation" into the time-portal service was an understanding of linear laws. All travelers are subject to the laws of the times – no exceptions. The time-portals maintained a low profile well into the 3rd millennium. Doing this meant a universal respect of the rules and regulations of the time. At times this was difficult but it was to be accepted without question. The 29th century travelers broke no laws of the time and therefore posed no real problem to the people of the times. Outside of the social scientist, little would be gained traveling into that time. After the war ended, both sides broke away from each other. Earth was defeated and left a scarred and miserable place, but this was the beginning of a new Earth – an Earth seen more as a park than anything else. Park status was still many years away. The colonies, after centuries of warfare had to adjust to developing their societies out of wartime. It would be many years before all had truly recovered.

The Gatekeepers

Travel in time began with little fanfare in 1975. After years of testing, one individual, whose name is still classified, made a trip into the year 2102. Arriving at that point, he knew the experiment was successful because he arrived at an operating port. On arrival, the gatekeeper, a middle-aged man dressed in clothes of the time smiled and said thanks for making the journey. It is because of you that make everything here possible. That comment signified two things: 1) Time travel was possible because of that one person's journey and 2.) The gatekeeper will always log your arrival. The gatekeeper serves as your friend and confidant in a foreign time. He or she serves as a liaison to his or her time. In all my traveling I have never met a gatekeeper who didn't smile, welcome me to his or her time and provide assignments.

During the colony wars, gatekeepers were replaced for the most part with automated equipment. Although my travel in that time is limited, I could not help but feel a bit lost my not having a warm body greet me to their time. Once the war was over, the time portals returned to live gatekeepers and did the job they always did best. Today's trip, as I previously mentioned, ended with an attractive 40ish woman who welcomed us to her time and provided me with all the proper details. A traveler never once never questioned the information provided by the gatekeeper that is until now. By the end of the day, Hal and I would find out that we were being deceived.

Our instructions were to travel north to Montreal, and meet with McGinnis, who is supposedly working as a consultant. The other traveler, who we assume is Mark, will be meeting with us prior to meeting with McGinnis. This much is true. Unfortunately we all are being led away from the truth.

Our trip to Montreal took us over various reconstruction sites. The war had ravaged much of this area and the battle scars were quite evident. Both Hal and I could not help but feel sad that this peace would be short lived. As per instructions, we did meet up with the other traveler who did indeed turn out to be Mark. Mark had aged a good five years since I last saw him. Age had served him well. He had gained some weight, but overall his physical condition was better than when I last saw him. He also has grown a beard in the five-year period. It seems that he was sent for the same purpose as we had. He provided a bit more information that we had. It seems that McGinnis was asked to come forward and provide information for the Earthforce Colony program. While there was a cease-fire, there was a general distrust between the Earth people and their counterparts on the colonies. McGinnis presented himself with the credentials of a historian who had extensive knowledge of the original contractual agreements between the companies supplying goods and services to the colonies. Little did they know was that McGinnis actually helped to draft some of these contracts?

So far Mark had not been successful in meeting with McGinnis. Excuses varied, but it seemed obvious that either he or the powers that be were obstructing us from meeting with him. All we could do is wait.

Why is he so important I asked? He has the credentials of a historian. He is reviewing documents that are centuries old. I can't see why he can't be disturbed. Something crossed my mind at this point. You know, I don't think that McGinnis is here, or if he is, he has no idea that we are here to see him. What do you mean, Hal asked? I can't help but think the gatekeeper mislead us. She almost came across as being too helpful. Additionally, we all know McGinnis. He is a man who loves an audience. If he truly is here on a covert mission, there are few people that he can spiel off to. We could provide him that outlet. I don't think that his "mission" is so crucial that he wouldn't make the time to meet with us – especially with our common connections.

What makes you thing the gatekeeper was misleading you, Mark asked? I can't give you specifics, but based on no more than intuition, she seemed to be feeding us some misinformation. For all the traveling I've done, I've met gatekeepers who were friendly and liked to engage in small talk. Remember – their job can be somewhat monotonous. Days or even weeks can go by before any traveler's come or go. People like that like small talk – "how was the weather when you left" or other idle talk. Our gatekeeper almost seemed rushed.

Well if that is true, Hal asked, what do we do now? We improvise, I said. Earthforce Argentina sent us to provide additional help in the historical project that McGinnis is working on, but somehow we misplaced our assignment papers. Surely in such an open society, three well-meaning historians with a bit of incorrect paperwork could still get in to the project.

That is fine, Mark noted, but they already know me. Remember I went looking for McGinnis. Did you tell them why, I asked? No, I merely mentioned that I had an appointment with McGinnis. Well, as I see it, if McGinnis is avoiding us, he will have to explain his actions to 3 people who've traveled so far. If he isn't here, we should at least get an audience with someone who will need to better explain why we can't look at the documents. After all, we are talking about centuries old documents.

Aren't you forgetting the obvious, Hal asked? We come with no supplies and really no knowledge of what we are looking for? I'm sure that we can purchase some type of recording device (travelers are supplied with some currency of the day) and we are here to view historical documents of the early colony development. What else do we need to tell them?

Mission Implausible

In order to put our plan in motion, the first thing we needed was some type of recording device. In my time, early versions of the lap top computer were available but were quite expensive. Later in my lineal time, the cost of laptops dropped considerably and while I am sure we would not find any such thing, I imagine recording devices (computers?). Within the hour, we found a reasonably priced unit at what we would call a second hand store or pawnshop. The counterperson told us to keep our receipt and returns were only available for 24-hours with a valid receipt (what happened to 30 days?). We decided that we needed to look more professional, so we found the 25th century equivalent of business suits at another thrift shop. Hal wanted to stop at a local library to polish up on early colony history. I don't want to look like a complete idiot when we arrive.

A few hours later we presented ourselves at the front gate, apologizing for not having the proper identification, but promising to have it in place by the morning. The guard was not the same guard that Mark encountered before and it seemed that he did not set off any alarms, so we were allowed to enter the archive site. So far, so good. Now all we have to do is find McGinnis, or at least find out what happened to him. The archival clerk was an attractive woman in her early 30's and she welcomed us without any hint of suspicion. Fortunately, doing our homework paid off. Hal mentioned one of the early treaties, the Pan-Argentine treaty of 2115 and explained that we were looking for confirmation of negotiations between the Argentineans and the Canadians that led to treaty ratification. I made a mental note to myself to compliment Hal on picking that minor bit of knowledge up from the local library.

Mark and I briefly smiled at each other because the question seemed to energize the clerk. She pointed to a row of CPU terminals that would provide that information, but also noted that additional information could be found in some old printed documents in one of the lower storage rooms. All of us felt comfortable knowing that we were being accepted as a group of stuffy intellectuals doing exhaustive research on a very minor piece of human history.

Here, some 400 years in the future and we are gathering information in a room not unlike a room of our own time. What did you expect, Hal noted. Even in your time, only fragments of knowledge are digitized. Archivists must still prefer printed material today. Furthermore, this world experienced a prolonged war – I don't think that station records from 300 years ago have a great deal of importance.

We must get back to the task at hand, Mark noted. Our mission is to find McGinnis. With that, Mark sought out the archivist to ask if McGinnis had been here. I was told that a 22nd century historian would be here to do research on the early Earthforce program. I was asked to pull some specific records for him, but he never came. He was scheduled to come last week, and he contacted me to tell me that he would be delayed a day or so, but that was still 4 days ago. I was going to give him one more day before I put the material away. Can I look at the material, Mark asked? He proceeded to tell her that he was a former colleague of McGinnis and had heard that he would be here. He was hoping that they would be able to get together.

One thing that I have learned about Mark was that he had an uncanny knack of making small talk. He provided the archivist just enough information to make her feel at ease with him. I think the correct term is comfort level. Her comfort level with him allowed him access to information that would have been inconceivable only 5 minutes ago. It all came about with good eye contact, a soft tone of voice and good body language. I am fast learning the art of perception, as Hal noted was my strong point. I could tell in a short time that the archivist was butter in Mark's hands.

The data was fairly straightforward. Memos between Earthforce stations, comments on financial contracts, etc. After an hour of review, I questioned what we are looking for. I do not see any smoking gun in this material, what could McGinnis possibly gain from this information? I think that it is a ruse, Hal noted. McGinnis requested information that he was very familiar with (possibly because he wrote much of it). Using that knowledge as a "historical review", McGinnis could easily get hold of more recent information as a means to follow trends, how agreements were modified during the war, etc.

McGinnis was building a thesis of sorts where he could show that he was developing a timeline of historical facts that would provide him access to recent data without raising any suspicion. If he came in here touting his expertise as a 22nd century historian and then proceeding to ask for information about present day activities, he probably would raise red flags. There is definitely something going on here and the only way McGinnis can access that information is by creating a ruse.

We don't know that for sure, Mark noted. My experience with McGinnis is that everything he does is over the top. What would stop him from coming in here with some lame excuse and proceed to analyze present Earthforce data. Let's face it; there is some relationship with Earthforce and the time-travel program. We know it and McGinnis knows it. Hell, even Farfox knew it. I am sure that somewhere in the upper levels of Earthforce management are people who have more than a passing interest in the time-travel program. Because of that, something scared off McGinnis and further more led us into some type of trap. I think that the sooner we get the hell out of here the better. Then we will try and find McGinnis.

Mark makes sense, Hal noted. After all, we don't even know what we are looking for. We were sent to find out information as to why a number of people decided to travel forward some 500-years. If one or two did it at a time, no one would think twice about it. When groups of 20 do it, it piques our interest. When hundreds do it over a 2-year period, we are sent to investigate. Let's face it. This has something to do with the war and that period of time immediately following the war where there was no contact between Earth and the colonies. I think that there are powers here that are attempting to make changes in that period that would benefit Earth sometime in the distant future. They are nearly powerless to make any real change in the outcome of the war, so why not wait until a time when the war is over and the remaining population needs order and stability. Who better to offer it than people from a past era that did have an idea of order and stability? You mean _control_, I said. Let's face it, Mark noted. One reason that Mussolini was able to gain control of government in Italy was that he could make the trains run on time. Some would call that stability, others would call it control.

With that, we decided to leave. The archivist seemed surprised that we were leaving so soon and Hal quickly noted that we had been paged to a faculty meeting across town. How can you be sure she knew what "paged" meant, I asked. I didn't Hal said; I just said the first thing that came to mind. Everything seemed fine until we tried to leave the gate of the facility. Two security guards tried to stop us and for a second I was afraid of some type of confrontation. They displayed no weapons, but tried to tell us that someone from our management staff wanted to speak with us before we left. Walking briskly, I smiled and told him that we were late for an appointment. They did not attempt to stop us, but I did notice him speaking into a communication device of the day. I am sure are problems aren't over yet.

Covert Meeting

The three of us cautiously approach the transport vehicle that Hal and I arrived in. I assumed that Mark came in a similar vehicle, but he never mentioned where he parked it. Taped on the inside windscreen was a hand written note simply titled "Fellow Travelers". It was written in late 20-century English, easily recognizable to all three of us. The note stated that Montreal is not a safe place to talk – even open societies have their secrets. We were told to fly south to the town of winter Olympics. Once we get there, we will receive automated instructions. The note was signed RM. The town of winter Olympics in the south, Mark asked? Lake Placid, Hal said. That is not much of a secret note, I said. Hal told me that the Olympics only lasted into the late 21st century. The cost of holding Olympics became too much for the Olympic committee and the last winter game was held sometime in the 2090's. The summer games ended approximately 10 years before. In our time Lake Placid made a big deal of its history. By now, it is only a minor footnote – only an accomplished historian would know that.

Do you think the note is legitimate, I asked? Well, these transport vehicles are assigned to travelers and I have to assume that they have the latest in security measures. Outside of a skilled technician, my guess is that a fellow traveler could gain access. McGinnis is a fellow traveler. Mark reminded us that guards were alerting somebody of our hasty exit. It was agreed that Lake Placid was a better place to be at this moment than Montreal.

We decided to travel separately. Mark casually walked to his vehicle that was parked only a few hundred feet away. No one tried to stop him. We proceeded to leave – traffic reports were normal. Everything seemed to be going fine. As we approached an exit velocity, receiving a voice message from the Earthforce office startled me. Travelers Peter and Hal it stated – we must ask you not to leave Montreal until we have a chance to speak to you. I promise you that you will not be detained and will be free to leave after our inquiry.

Two things startled me – the use of the term travelers – how do they know who we are. WE are supposed to be unidentifiable. Secondly, why didn't they just detain us when we tried to leave? Why wait until we were about to leave the city? Judging that it was pointless to just ignore the message, I responded by saying what can we do for you? Can't we answer your questions in flight? "These are still troubling times" was the response. Hostilities ended nearly two years ago, but there are those that believe that spies still watch over us. We need to verify that you are not colonial spies covertly viewing our data. Hal forcefully answered – if we were spies, why would we "spy" on historical information in one of the few places on Earth that openly deals with the colonies. You must admit that a real spy would look for more pertinent information than 200-year old treaties.

The only response we received was a recording of the first message. Obviously they were in no mood to talk to us in flight. Why didn't you detain us, I asked? That is not our way. We believe in an open society and will not detain you for crimes that have not yet been determined. Then we can leave, I asked? In the long run, it would be better for all three of you if you freely return. We cannot guarantee your safety or your liberty if you continue to exit the city. On a closed channel, Mark piped in – let's get the hell out of here. They are baiting us to stay. They can't detain us because they lack the authority. If we go back – they may then have the authority. We all agreed and proceeded to leave Montreal airspace unmolested.

Welcome to Lake Placid

The trip to Lake Placid was uneventful, but the events in Montreal lay heavy on all three of us. If this were the 20th century I would be looking in my rear view mirror for a tail. What bothers me, I said, is that we really have no idea if we are being followed, traced or monitored. We obviously ruffled some feathers and I don't think we are going to easily leave this time. Hal agreed, but he is still surprised by the Earthforce authorities calling us "travelers". Outside of time-portal people, no one – I mean no one, has used the term traveler when speaking to me. I find it disconcerting that the time portal project is known by so many. We don't know that I said. We know that time portal people work in the Earthforce programs. It may simply be someone with the right knowledge who felt it important to scare us.

Mark, who had been monitoring our conversation, spoke up saying that throughout the past and as well as we know, throughout the future, the time-portal project has been and will be the best kept secret. After all, we all agreed that the gatekeeper was less than truthful with us and three groups from three different times have been sent here to investigate. Earthforce may not be the problem – the problem lies with some involved with the time portal. No matter where we sought information, time –portal personnel would have been notified.

If that is the case, what can we do, Hal asked. If there is some large conspiracy in the time portal, we may find ourselves stuck here. I'm afraid that no matter what time portal we go to we are stuck. I don't think that it is that wide spread, Mark noted. After all, if there is some large conspiracy, why let us in? Travelers have been denied entry, from time to time. During points of the war, travelers were sent back for their own safety. Time portal people here and now know this peace is short lived. They could have easily sent both McGinnis packing and us.

The remainder of the trip was quiet. Each of us took time to contemplate what happened. Part of me wanted to believe that McGinnis was to blame or maybe even Farfox. Both of them are meddlers – it is in their nature. Maybe we weren't sent here to assist, maybe we were sent here to spy on their activities. After all, McGinnis saw no real danger in tweaking the future in hope of making it better. Farfox, in an act of selfishness lost all that was near and dear to him. He would do anything to bring them back.

The other thing bothering me was the time where these people were going. In our trip to the third millennium, we were told of an almost dark age on Earth after the end of the war. Little of no progress was made at the time. It seems that the Earth went into a hibernation mode to heal itself. Why not go further into the future to a time where real progress was being made.

We parked our vehicles and as we were about to disembark, we received a message from McGinnis. He asked us to meet him at the Lake Placid lodge on the outskirts of town. He promised that he would be there and there would be no tricks. Hal and I sat silent for a moment before he spoke up saying that we have to go – I don't think we have a choice. If we want to safely leave this time, I think McGinnis can get us out. By this time Mark approached our vehicle. He too had received the message. I agree with Hal, Mark said. This is a time that I have little desire staying in. McGinnis maybe a pain in the ass, but I think we need him just as much as he needs us.

Using the conventional ground transportation of the day, we made our way to the Lake Placid Lodge. McGinnis greeted us at the door greeting us like long lost friends. I had to admit, McGinnis is one of the more interesting men I ever met, but that doesn't mean I trust him as far as I could throw him. Once inside, McGinnis went straight to the point – there is something fishy going on here. Many of today's brightest minds are escaping to the 29th century and there seems to be a concerted effort to keep this hidden.

Why the 29th century, Hal asked? Third millennium history books list the 29th century as the latter part of the post war Dark Age on Earth. Some leaders of the day expressed a desire to reach out to the colonies, but most of the populace of the time was opposed to it. While there were metropolitan centers, much of Earth had reverted to an agrarian economy. Leading universities of the time promoted farm studies over other types of scientific research. By the time Earth emerged from this period, it became the leading producer of food in the solar system. Basically, there is little evidence available in the 31st century that any serious technological growth occurred 200 years earlier.

Are you saying that the Earth completely abandoned technology after the war, Mark asked? No, Hal said. The Earth still maintained colonies on the Moon and in Earth's orbit. These stations were more for defensive purposes than anything else. There was a deep distrust of the colonies and the Earth run colonies' primary purpose was to keep tabs on the outer colonies. What about the time portals, I asked? McGinnis spoke up and said that while time-portals continued to operate through the dark ages, some were abandoned and most were automated and not staffed. There is no evidence of travelers originating from that period who made any contact with the past or the future.

That makes sense, Hal noted. My comrades in the 31st century rarely bothered to travel into that time and I know of no incidence of travelers from that time moving forward. Third millennium people were interested in earlier times and future time. The 29th century just isn't interesting enough.

Is there any evidence that the travelers are attempting to travel to the colonies, I asked? The colonies prospered during that period and maybe people of this time saw a better future for themselves out in the colonies. That may be true McGinnis noted, but that there was next to no communication with the colonies let alone a total lack of transportation available at the time. That is true Hal noted, according to historical records of my time; transportation would not resume until the second decade of the 30th century. Furthermore, if you wanted to go to the colonies, why not travel out now, when transportation is possible and use their time portals to go to the 29th century.

There is one possibility that we need to look at McGinnis said. With that, a light bulb seemed to go off above Hal's head. I know where you are going with this Hal said. You are talking about the extraterrestrial contact.

Extraterrestrial contact? What extraterrestrial contact, I asked. Hal began to explain. It was proved a long time ago that there were extraterrestrials. Evidence began to crop up as we developed the colonies. The asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter is full of junk. As we developed colonies farther away from the gravitational pull of the sun, we were able to send signals out in an area of the galaxy we long suspected held some type of life. The answer took many years, but the answer did come back. Unfortunately the aftermath of the colony wars left us without the proper resources to attempt further communication. Deciphering the responses took many years but it was finally figured out what the messages were.

It seems that many centuries before we ventured out into space, a race of inhabitants from a planet circling one of our neighboring stars developed space flight and improved on it to where they were able to travel out into the stars using a technology similar to the time traveling technology. Do you mean they were able to use wormholes, Mark asked? Yes Hal said. Wormholes allowed them to travel to our solar system and to a few others. They attempted to colonize some of the worlds in our solar system, except for Earth – because Earth at the time was nearly a thousand years behind in technology. Unfortunately their colony system did not work and they were eventually abandoned. They had little concern for the junk they left behind and probably thought little of it until we came along.

So what is the problem with this, I asked? Well the problem is that they presented this information more or less as a warning. During the time between their last colony and our venture out into space, this race of people became isolationist. They all but abandoned space flight and concentrated most of the efforts at home. They continued to develop both scientifically and somehow their society went through evolutionary changes. The tone of the messages we received were not those of friendly neighbors – they were hostile. The early messages seemed conciliatory. They told us of their space explorations and such, but later messages warned us to stay away. The problem was that they were looking for some type of promise from us that we would keep our distance and they would leave us alone. The war and our inability to decipher their messages seem to have made them very angry. We continued to receive approximately 1 message every 5 years looking for a response and by the time were able to respond – the messages stopped coming.

Why is that necessarily a problem, I asked? You already know that they abandoned space flight and we have made no effort to physically contact them. It seems logical that once we did not respond, they stopped sending messages. The problem, Hal noted that once we deciphered their messages, the lack of response was viewed not one of abandonment – they viewed it as possible aggression. They knew we were at war, what they didn't know was why we were fighting. They viewed our war as some type of preparation for an invasion of their planets? How can that be, I asked? Surely they knew that we lacked the technology to go and attack.

No, that isn't true, McGinnis noted. We use wormholes to travel in time; they use them to travel through space. Even in our century we knew that we could use wormholes to travel out into space, but there never seemed to be any serious interest.

That is, no interest until the 29th century I noted. That said a silence befell the room. Each of us in our own way understood what seemed to be happening. But we weren't entirely sure why. People of this time see the need to travel out to meet these aliens who may or may not be preparing for war against us. Why, I asked? The enemy of my enemy is my friend, Mark said. Let's face it – it seems inevitable that the war will continue in one-way or another. And by this time, I think that most people of Earth feel it is a war they will eventually lose. I am sure that some already know that. Why not accept the inevitable, but plan on some type of retaliation after when the winners will probably be at their weakest. We all know that even though the colonies will eventually win, it will take them years to recover from the devastation. Earthers know that too. (Earthers, we will later find out is a term that will mean people of Earth). Why not try and convince the aliens that Earthers have a common enemy. Fighting together will help to defeat them.

If you think about it, the 29th century is the perfect time, Hal said. Earth was recovering and the colonies were regrouping. Years of war left the colonies in some disarray. They too will recover, but to tell you the truth – they were at their weakest in that time period. One thing on Earth that survived nearly unscathed was the time portal system. It would only require engineering on one time portal to make space flight. Wait a minute, I said. The portals are only designed to enter and exit at the same point. We can't enter one port and exit from another. Wouldn't they have to be redesigned? Furthermore – where would they exit? Even if we could exit through a different portal on a different planet – how would they design the exit port?

McGinnis spoke up – we don't know that. What we do know is that we have to high tail it to the 29th century and figure this thing through.

Meanwhile, Back in Montreal …

Peter McDermand sat in his office at the Earthforce Montreal office complex. As director of security, he oversaw all the properties in the Earthforce complex. A native of Quebec, his family's history in Montreal dated back to the before the American Civil War when they migrated to Canada via the Underground Railroad. After a long career in law enforcement, he became director of Earthforce Montreal security in the waning days of the colony wars. What is less known about McDermand is that he is also a traveler.

His communication device buzzed. Without even looking at the view screen, McDermand knew who was calling. Any word on your fellow travelers, the caller asked? We know that they went to Lake Placid and are now meeting with Roger McGinnis. It is a shame that you couldn't have detained them, the caller said. I am afraid that by working with McGinnis, the four of them will get a better idea of what is going on. On what charge McDermand asked? They broke no laws. They did not break any security measures at Earthforce. There was no way that Montreal Police would arrest or even detain them. They broke no laws.

That still doesn't change our dilemma. Our work needs to be kept under wraps from most of the travelers. The organization overseeing the travelers would disapprove of our actions in the 20th, 22nd and the 29th century. They protect their secrets then and now. McDermand, clearly uncomfortable in this situation, noted that his job was to observe their actions – nothing more. If they are to be stopped – the best place to stop them is at the Horsehill facility. That is true the caller noted. What is to stop them from going to another facility and make their trip? Our influence, outside of Horsehill is limited. I am afraid that we can't stop them from going to the 29th century and fishing around.

Time for Preparation

No one needed to speak – it was agreed by all that the travelers needed to go to the 29th century to get an understanding of what was really going on. Hal, what will we expect from Earthers in that period? Traveling in that time shouldn't be a problem, but expect some suspicion from the people. There is a real fear that colonists were spying on their society and trying to influence their everyday life. Earth lost, Mark said. As victors, didn't the colonists have some control over those people? The war never was really about that Hal said. Earth lost all access to the colonies. Any access will be at the will of the colonies. Thirtieth century historians will discover that there was some high level contact during the period and there was even some trading taking place – but it was very limited. Distrust, on both sides was rampant. The same type of suspicions would hamper us if we were traveling to the colonies.

Will it be any worse to the distrust we've experienced now? Let's face it – we haven't felt overly welcome here at this point. McGinnis answered my question. You are right. This is not a great time to be a stranger in a strange land. Furthermore, we need to choose another travel point than Horsehill. The farther away from Horsehill the better, I say. Where you suggest, I asked. Somewhere in Europe he answered. We have the proper credentials. We can tell them that we are on a quality control trip. By the time they verify it – we will be long gone.

Next stop – Europe

The European Union never became the European United States as some had envisioned. Nonetheless, the EU did survive and free travel between the member nations was not a problem. We decided in transit to use the travel port in Albania. It was always one of the low travel points in the system and the Gatekeepers there usually welcomed the business. Traveling there was too easy, I thought. We arrived at the London docking station and easily made it through their version of the customs. From that point, we made the three-hour trip to the Albania station. McGinnis noted that he has used this travel point in the past (or was it the future?). Some things never changed he noted. Back in your 20th century, the travel point was built there not long after the collapse of the communist government (still in my linear future). Land was cheap and people could be paid to look the other way. During the colony wars, it was so out of the way that most considered it a safe place to enter and exit.

Security was practically non-existent. The guard spoke broken English and accepted us with the credentials we had. The gatekeeper, an attractive middle-aged woman seemed to accept us at face value for who we are. Mark later noted that since we asked the right questions, there probably was little need to question our motives. I couldn't help but be suspicious. This is just too easy I thought. Hal, who really hadn't said much since we left Lake Placid, commented that there was probably some safeguards in place to restrict entry and the credentials we had must have cleared our way. I just hope that we aren't walking into a trap, I said.

The gatekeeper made the proper arrangements and as we were about to disembark, spoke up and told us that there was going to be some delay. Our power grid is shared with a local community and I am unable to provide you with sufficient power to make the trip. You will need to wait at least one hour, possibly two. Hal did remember that during the colony wars, the power containment units that powered these stations were sometimes shared with local communities. How did they do that without revealing the true purpose of the program, Mark said? McGinnis answered before giving Hal a chance. The management of the Time Portals has always been creative in their relationships with local communities. All they would need to say is that this is a government facility and as such is able to help out – that would be fine. Hal agreed. In times of war, people become desperate. If a government agency is willing to share power with you – you ask no questions.

My concern seemed unfounded. Two hours later, we embarked on the next stop of our journey – the second half of the 29th century. A male gatekeeper who spoke a dialect that none of us were familiar with, but a computer translation unit was available to assist us met us. I remembered the difficulty we had with the dialects spoken in the third millennium but Hal noted that the medication we took help us understand was not yet available at this time. Computer translation units were the only viable source of translation at this time. We explained to the gatekeeper that we were from the 20th, 21st and 22nd century. He was surprised that we traveled so far. The farthest traveler he had ever encountered was from the 24th century. That was Farfox's time, I mentally noted. Even so, our traveling didn't seem to set off any alarms with him. Where do you want to go, he asked? Little did I know, but I was about to embark on the trip of my life, alone.

Concerns

I open my eyes. The landscape is completely foreign to me. I looked around and nothing was familiar – everything was foreign. I have slept in the past and in the future and no matter where I woke up, there was something that was familiar to me. Not here, I thought. This is a place that did not have a human touch.

What happened, I asked myself. I remember arriving in the 29th century with Mark, Hal and McGinnis. Beyond that, my memories become vague. I remember that I suddenly became light-headed, almost to the point of passing out. My next vision is here. At first I thought that I was brought to one of the colonies. Personally I have never set foot on any of the colonies, but I have seen enough footage to realize that there were apparent signs of humanity on the colonies. Maybe I was somehow transported to another world. I thought about that for some time. McGinnis did say this was possible through manipulation of the wormholes. But if that was the case, why don't I remember any of it? What happened to the others? No, this was different. I am sure that I am still on Earth, but is it the same Earth? I remember reading about some theory that multiple planes of existence share the Earth. Same Earth but still a different Earth. I looked up in the sky – there is only one sun. It was the time of the day where the moon could also be made out – only one moon. Beyond that everything was different. The air, although breathable, seemed somewhat stale. Not unlike the air you would find on an older style submarine after spending many hours under the surface. The air somehow reminded me that it is overdue to be recycled, yet no one was available to recycle it.

Then it hit me. There is absolutely no sound. No sound of birds or machines. No sound of wind rustling through the trees. Come to think of it – there are no trees. Just barren soil – lifeless and bleak. I have spent time in the desert and even though there was very little rainfall, the desert still teemed with life. Not here. I felt that I was the only person alive. The thought should have terrified me, yet; somehow, I felt some peace knowing that. No one can make demands of you on a dead world. You either survive or you don't – plain and simple. My family can't make demands of me here. The time portal people can't make demands of me here. I should be lonely. Maybe I soon will, but for now, I am at peace with myself.

That peace was short lived. Over to the left of me, I see a figure walking towards me. Oh well, the place is not dead after all. As the person approached, I noticed that while he had human like features, he was not human. He seemed to have extra features on his body. For that matter, I am not entirely sure that he is a "he". His arms were noticeably shorter than humans, and it was apparent that he had extra fingers on each hand. He walked on two legs, but he seemed to be dragging a tail from behind. Is he a mixture of human and animal, I asked?

He approached me as someone would approach a new acquaintance. He smiled and began to speak. I understand him. Then again why shouldn't I? We have the ability to understand different languages and dialects, thanks to the Portal system. He introduced himself using a name sounding like Robert, but it wasn't Robert. I introduced myself and told him my name was Peter. It seemed to take a minute to fully comprehend what I was saying, but then everything seemed to clear between us.

Where am I and how did I get here, I asked. You are where you always were he said. This is the site of the facility you know as Horsehill. Horsehill, I said. Horsehill is located in a mountainous region of New York. The mountains have longed since disappeared he said, as has New York. What do you mean I asked? You have stepped out one billion years in the future.

One _billion_ years, I asked. That is impossible. There is no way we could be transported that far in the future. Most doubt that there is humanity that far in the future. He smiled. Well all I can tell you is that you are here and I am here. The world is a lot older than when you stepped into your portal, but it is still here. The mountains you spoke of have changed. You are now standing on a plateau that is nearly, how do you say, one mile above the sea?

With that I sat down. How did you find me, I asked? Well from time to time, travelers, like you have stepped out of the portal and ended up here. The Earth has changed dramatically since you left, as has the human race. I think the term was evolution. We've evolved and the Earth's evolved. We have survived through countless wars and countless diseases. We conquered space and time and we have made peace with our neighbors. It is safe to say that we have grown a lot since you left.

Where was Mark, Hal and Roger McGinnis? We all left the 24th century together and arrived in the 29th century, yet I am here alone. I am sorry, Robert said. I do not have an answer for you. Perhaps, we can find out, but the answer you are seeking is not here. Come with me, Robert said. It will be dark soon, and with darkness, comes a coldness that you have never experienced. It is much warmer down in the valley.

What do you mean, a coldness that I have never experienced? Are you familiar with movement of the continents, Robert asked? Yes, I said, the prevailing theory in my time was that the continents moved and were located at different parts of the Earth. Well, Robert noted – you are presently in the area known as the North Pole. With nightfall comes snowstorms and temperatures dropping, how do you say – 100 degrees? That is impossible, I countered. There is no snow here. Surely in a climate that cold, snow would last. The Earth is much different now he said. Believe me – in a short time, you could be standing knee deep in snow.

I feel like Alexander Hartdegen, the protagonist in HG Wells, classic _The Time Machine_. Fate removed him from everything he knew – everything he loved. While he did have the ability to return, he found himself drawn to the future and ultimately chose to live there (at least that is how the movie presented it – the book wasn't so clear). For some reason, this time and place seems to have a something for me.

How far is the village? I asked. By your measurements, approximately 10 miles, Robert said. I am amazed that he has knowledge of such things, I thought. If I were indeed one billion years in the future, how would he casually know my accepted units of measurements? Even by the 24th century, the metric system became the accepted form of measurement throughout the world and the colonies. Standard measurements were gone by then.

So many questions – too many answers he said. So you also read minds I said? Yes we can, but don't worry; we cannot probe your innermost thoughts without your permission. The expression on your face alone gave it away. I smiled to myself – I kind of like this guy, I thought. We walked for approximately 100 yards when we came upon what looked like a doorway embedded in the ground. The door did not open in the conventional sense; rather, it seemed to disappear as we approached and below it seemed to be some type of transportation device. It looked no more than the topside of an open boxcar, but as we stepped on it, a set of chairs seemed to materialize out of nothing. As we sat, an exterior formed around the shell and no sooner it began to levitate out of the ground rising some 20 feet in the air. Is this your preferred mode of transportation, I asked? In a manner of speaking, yes he said. These units are located throughout the region as a means of providing emergency transport should one be caught here after dark. I didn't even bother to ask how he got here in the first place. I am still trying to sort this whole thing out.

Tell me about your people Robert. Do you still have family units like we did? Are there still large cities? Are countries mapped the same as in our time. So many questions – too many answers was all he said. I realized then that my friend would only tell me so much. I guess I have to wait and see what waits me in the village.

Within the hour, we set down in the village. It was a non-descript village, not much different than a village found in the 20th century. The transportation device touched down quietly and as we stood both the seats and the shell vanished. I followed Robert into a building that I would guess would be some type of village hall. There were no flags or markings that signified it as a government building – it just had that type of look. The inside of the building, while sparse, did have many of the amenities of a 20th century building – chairs, potted plants, art on the walls. The plants and the art did not look familiar, but the chairs didn't seem to change all that much. There were other people milling around – both male and female versions of what Robert was.

I sat down while Robert spoke with a female Robert. They didn't seem to hide anything from me. He told her where I was found and how I got there. She shook her head and continued what she was doing. Robert told me that she (no name given) would be speaking with me shortly. He smiled, told me he would see me later and left the room.

At first female Robert did not strike me as being as friendly as Robert. She continued to go about her business for a few minutes barely recognizing me. After a good 5 minutes she finished what she was doing and turned to me speaking as if we were long acquaintances. How are you doing she asked? I am glad that we were able to retrieve you off the plateau before nightfall. You would have been in serious trouble if you arrival were a bit later. I am sure you have questions for us, as we do for you. Why don't we start with your questions and hopefully, I can provide answers.

Tell me exactly where I am. Robert indicated that I arrived at the point that I departed. That would be the Horsehill facility in what I knew as upstate New York. Yes that is true female Robert. Why here, I asked. I was in 29th century Albania. A country thousands of miles away in what was then Eastern Europe. Many things have changed in what you know as portal travel. The portal units are designed to bring people to a point of origin. It is my guess that at some point in your journeys, this area was a place you would have called home.

That made sense. The Horsehill facility was closest to my home and it was the primary portal I used. What happened to my companions? That I don't know, female Robert said. All I can tell you is that you or someone else sent you here in what is one billion years in your future.

Before I could say anything else, female Robert knew my next question – what happened to humans, as I knew them. Was there some type of evolutionary change? You are not offending me by asking she said. Yes we have evolved, but not entirely in the way you think. I am not a hybrid of human and animal. I am a hybrid of human and Alpha Centurion.

Alpha Centurion, I asked? Yes, she said. Part of my ancestry is human; while part of it comes from the aliens you were anxious to meet. Contact was made back in your 29th century and while there was general distrust at first, there was a slow acceptance on both sides. By the time of what you know as the 4th millennium, humans and alpha centurions were working together, living together and having children together. By the 8th millennium, little was left of the real human or the real alpha centurion. In my time, you alone are unique.

Have you ever met anyone like me, I asked? No you are the first ancient human to be seen in 500 of your years. Furthermore, she said, I believe that you were brought here for a purpose. I knew the answer to that. I don't know how I got here and I honestly believe that female Robert doesn't know. No matter how I got here, the message is clear. We need to let things evolve without interfering. 24th century science is needed in the 29th century to make things work. The petty differences between governments on earth and government on colonies do not mean squat in the big picture. Let life evolve as it evolves. Even Darwin admitted that some things in evolution cannot be easily explained. What I am seeing here is only a natural progression of evolution of two distinct races into one new one.

I think I understand, I said. With that female Robert smiled and told me that I was free to travel the planet before returning to my time. One more question, I asked. If I were to travel to Alpha Centurion, would I meet people like you?

And the answer is…

Female Robert smiled upon hearing my question. I can tell you without a doubt that the inhabitants of today's Earth and Alpha Centurion are nearly one and the same. The wormhole technology you use to travel through time is now almost exclusively used to travel between planets. What about the colonies, I asked? Yes and no she answered. Many more were built through the millennia. Some of the original still survive. Unfortunately for many, they were never meant to be totally self-sufficient. Some were able to survive with a degree of success while many were eventually abandoned. The earliest colony, the one located on the Martian moon Phobos had to be abandoned some 100,000 years in your future as the moon began to separate from the gravitational pull of Mars. Some were just too far out to survive on their own. There are still many colonies out there, but the focus of creating independent worlds has long since changed.

One other thing, I asked. I find myself propelled one billion years in the future to a world that is almost completely foreign to me; yet, somehow I feel at home in it? Why is that? I am at a loss for words. All that I knew – family, friends, places have long since turned to dust, but if you told me that I couldn't go back, I do not think that I would be sad about it. For that I feel a sense of guilt. I should feel sadness and loss – yet I don't.

Female Robert smiled in a way that a mother would try to comfort an ailing child. I will try and explain this as best as I can. Time travel, even by your time, came with a certain amount of risk. Despite all the safety's put into the technology, the biggest risk was being trapped in another time. There are fail-safes in the system. As time passed, the fail-safes improved. Nonetheless, there is still that danger. People have entered the time tunnel and never returned. The same is true using the technology to travel out into space. People go out and some are never heard from again. Somewhere in the 5th millennium, if my ancient history is correct, time-travelers were subjected with a slight form of non-lethal radiation that will alter emotions ever so slightly. The theory was that one's emotional well-being can be preserved even if the situation became hopeless and travelers were never able to return to their own time and back to the people they care for. It was not a means of forgetting your past existence, just a way of accepting it.

This came under scrutiny after a few years. There were concerns that repeated exposure to this radiation could cause long-term damage to regular travelers. While there were no documented cases of it, it did force the eventual abandonment of the program. There is no evidence to suggest damage, but my guess is while you were hurled forward in time, you somehow were exposed to the radiation.

I sat silent for a minute of so, trying to gather my thoughts on the subject. Can I go back, I asked? With that, female Robert (who I later found out had a name that sounded somewhat like Tegan), smiled and said that there is no reason you cannot go back. We do have a request of you before you leave.

The Future's Past

Tegan did not beat around the bush. She requested that I would serve as a liaison to the past. Normally a liaison would serve as some type of ambassador. My purpose is different; I would serve as the futures link to the past. I am to be given the ability to travel far into the future undetected providing human historical information. What I found was that historical data of the Alpha Centurion's was easily accessible – human history became muttled. Too many events in history led to this. In many ways I will serve a similar master that Hal does. The only difference is that his masters aren't that much different than the people of Hal's time. In doing this, I, if willing will be given a type of longevity not known to people of my time. In my linear time, I age not unlike people around me. In this time, the aging process slows considerably. Any time I come back here my ageing will slow. Two bodies, but one mind. I must never – never tell anyone of my travels. Years later I will find out why – but that is for another story.

In return, I was given access to Alpha Centurion's databank regarding the incidents surrounding the 29th century mystery. My dilemma, of course, is what to do with that information when I return to my job. Please take time and think about it Tegan said. The slowing of the aging process will eventually implicate your existence in your time. The change will be slow, but in time you will realize that people around you will get old and die. You will get old, but a much slower pace. Every time you return here you will be renewed.

How often do I return and when, I asked. I will be blunt, Tegan said. You will be brought here from time to time when we want you to come here. You are free to move forward any time you wish, but if you choose to do that, gatekeepers may question why you are moving so far forward.

While I was interested in their offer and would eventually accept it, I told her that I would have to "sleep on it". Tegan agreed that would be a good idea and directed me to appropriate lodging. The room reminded me in a vague way of a 20th century motel room. Very functional, but very plain. As I lay there trying to drift off to sleep I thought back to the dream I had before starting the mission. In my dream I met myself in the wormhole, a somewhat fragmented version of myself warning me that there was danger ahead. Was it really just a dream? Normally I don't remember great details of my dreams and when I do, they make little sense. This was different, this "felt" real to me. Based on where I am and what I've learned maybe I did warn myself about something, but what is it?

_Back to the 29__th__ Century…_

As promised, I was returned to the point of where I left. As far as my fellow travelers are concerned, nothing happened. I put on a good face, but my mind seemed elsewhere. I really did not know what to expect from the 29th century. Part of me expected to see a new version of the dark ages where the infrastructure was in disrepair and people were in a distraught state. In reality, I found a society that had rebuilt much of what was destroyed, but cities were nearly empty. The population of Earth had turned agrarian. Cities existed for places of commerce. While I am sure that people lived in cities, it was apparent that cities did not play a leading role in society as they once did. Even by the 3rd millennium, city life did not recover to a degree that they once were.

One thing was for sure. Our purpose for coming to the 29th century has changed. We must no longer try and stop the contact – I need to convince my associates that it is the right thing. How I do this, I asked myself. Is there a connection between the future events and Farfox? I decided that the best course of action is inaction. There is nothing wrong with spending a few days snooping around.

Hal quickly became aware of my distraction. Is there something bothering you? With a concerned look I spoke telling him of my concerns about manipulating events here. We already have one group of travelers doing something here and you – a product of a later time has no evidence to support anything went wrong here. I can't help but thing that our best course of action is to do nothing at all. Furthermore, I am dammed tired chasing our nemesis Mr. Farfox through the centuries as he tries to right all the wrongs of his life. Let's face it – Farfox is a nobody. He made some stupid mistakes which forever changed his life. He needs to accept that and live with it. If he can find happiness here in the 29th century chasing aliens – let him. You are evidence that whatever he did had ZERO impact on people of the 31st century.

Before Hal could speak, I continued, I know what you are going to say – our intervention here saved the future. How do we know that? Maybe the correct course of action is contact. Yes I know that these travelers' motives are to change Earth's destiny. Let's face it – Earth's destiny won't change just because of a few travelers.

Hal did not say anything. He looked at me in a way that I couldn't tell if he thought I was crazy or making perfect sense. Slowly he spoke. If, you are correct, how will we know? We can jump forward but still not know if inaction or action stabilized my future. Back in 1982 when you first introduced me to this program. You told me that our primary purpose is to observe and to only act when absolutely necessary. There are those who would argue that being reactive may have prevented the Colony Wars. Countless lives would have been saved. We know by our future experiences that by allowing the natural order of things to play out – our future was secure. Who knows – maybe some traveler successfully averted the Colony Wars, only to find something worse in the future. In finding a darker future, he or she went back and changed events back to what we know.

There are those who could see us as Gods. We have the power to control the destinies of generations by simple actions or inactions. I say that we are not Gods – we are mere mortals who have access to a machine of great power. How we use that power indicates who we really are. You may disagree with me on this, but I plan on doing everything in my power to let these people do what they came for. I believe that our future is dependant on the actions of them.

Hal said nothing else. He silently walked away. Did I convince him or was he going to warn Mark and Roger McGinnis of my "spiritual" awakening. In a way I can't believe what I had just done. Was I going against all that I believe in? After all, our job is to more or less police the activities of the portal users. On the other hand, even a Police officer can believe in his heart that a defendant is innocent.

Sure enough, Mark and Hal returned soon. Hal had told him my feelings about the situation. Oh how I wanted to tell him about my experiences! How could I though? In their minds, I never left. Mark took a minute before speaking. Let me get this clear – you want us to do nothing? Doing nothing can jeopardize the future of this and countless more generations. Or, maybe doing nothing protects those generations. I am not sure how to proceed. Have either of you spoke with McGinnis, I asked. No, Hal said. If this is your call, then he will need to hear it from you.

Mark, still somewhat perplexed, asked me again why I am choosing to do nothing. Before I could answer, he stern fully told me to think carefully before answering. This could be perceived as disobeying a direct order. I wish that I could be more direct with my answer, but at the chance of being considered "crazy", I am asking you to trust me on this. We can't do that, Hal said. You seem to forget that I have forged a life for myself in the future – not in the past. While I may work in the past, I consider myself a resident of the 3rd millennium.

I haven't forgotten, I said. I too have seen the future – a future that you may not believe. In this future, humans and aliens not only live in harmony, they become one. I am telling you that the future of all depends on this meeting. It may not go well at first, but it is destined to happen. Well, let me tell you – that shut both of them up!

_The Activities of Farfox_

Jules Farfox is a man with a mission. Having to live with a terrible mistake that not only ended the live of someone he loved – it deleted her entire existence. This drove him everyday of his life. He saw the human race going down a path of destruction. The Colony Wars were just another chapter of a book that wouldn't have a happy ending. Only contact with the alien race would solve our problems in humanity. After all – they are much smarter than us and they seemed to have put their petty differences aside and work for a common good. We need them. They may not want to interact with us, but we need them now more than ever. We need to learn from them how to live in harmony for now and for all time.

Based on that logic, Farfox was able to convince a number of his linear contemporaries to join him in a quest to contact the alien race. His time would not work. The war was in full swing. He knew that contact would need to happen at a time when the war was over, but the warring sides were too weak to react. Both Earth and the Colonies were busy rebuilding their societies in the 29th century. The powers of that time would have little interest in a group of travelers. He was convincing. Many of the leading "travelers" of his time were interested in trying. They grew tired of worlds at war. Anything was better than death or destruction. Maybe there was something to learn from these aliens?

As wild as it may have seen, a number of people joined Farfox in his quest. Lasting peace in a time of war appealed to many people from all walks of life. Farfox did his best to convince those who knew of the wormhole technology and those who didn't. Dreamers, like Farfox had an appeal to many. For those who had no knowledge of the technology were dubious, but even within that crowd, there were those who had an idea of something going on. After all, the openness of Earth's society pre-dated the Colony Wars. In an open society there were few secrets that could be completely under wraps. Many suspected the concept of time travel since the 20th century. Numerous articles appeared in journals and newspapers through out the years. Early television was filled with programs that questioned the denials of extraterrestrial life, time travel and other non-mainstream beliefs.

There were those in the Colonies who supported Farfox's cause. The existence of extraterrestrial life had been proven by the discoveries in the outer regions. Furthermore, there was no evidence of societal destruction. Most finds in the outer region were junk; however, there was some evidence of storage. Did storage mean they intended to come back? Communications indicated they had no intention of traveling out into space anymore. That said, there were probably a few who saw the need of keeping some type of infrastructure intact, just in case…

I knew the answer, but my contemporaries, even present day Alpha Centurions wouldn't accept it. Alpha Centurions of this time saw little by establishing contact. Humans were to busy trying to pick up after centuries of war. How do I allow this contact to happen without creating some type of interstellar war?

The answer soon became obvious to me. Somehow, I needed to contact a present day Alpha Centurion and provide convincing evidence that not only was contact inevitable, it was required for the continuation of both species. While this may seem impossible in my time or even 29th century Earth. The answer to my problem begins on the Moon.

…


End file.
